Offensive Behavior

“Oh!” Her skirt fluttered over her butt and the wall of Reid receded. She twisted her head to watch him unzip, head bowed, his hair dry now and fluffed as though she’d had her fingers in it. “Reid.”

He looked up, eyes wide, blown out like spotlights. “I’m going to die if I don’t have you.”

“Yours. I’m yours. Do it now.”

He put a hand alongside hers on the tree and she pressed back as he guided himself inside her. They both stilled when he was fully seated. He spoke into her ear, “Is it always this madness?” his voice was hushed and cracked.

She was too full, too open, too everything at once to know how to answer him. She rocked back and he jerked forward. Tension swirled in her gut, heat made her legs shake, nonsense sounds poured out of her mouth. Reid’s hand went to her hip, then dipped under her dress where his fingers sought and found the madness in her.

She shook so hard she might push the tree over. She felt so deeply she might break its roots with her toes. The whole park couldn’t contain the pleasure she felt. The ponds would flood, the grass shoot, the seasons cycle from fertile to fallow and back again, all within the time it took for orgasm to rip though her body, for Reid’s to chase it, catch it midair and ground her with his mouth to her throat.

Out of breath they held each other up. Reid curled protectively around her, his chest heaving, his head tucked in the nook of her shoulder. She put her hand to his hair, threaded her fingers though his overlong locks. This thing between them kept getting better, more intense. But it had to be the game she was making of it, his willingness to go all in and play to win.

“You okay, Flygirl.”

“Still flying.”

“Me too.”

And then a dog barked.

No two semi-undressed people put themselves together quicker, both of them laughing.

“I ripped your—”

She wiggled into her underwear. “Not completely.” But enough they weren’t fit to be worn again. The bike ride back would be a little more breezy.

“Sorry,” he frowned, contrite, looking down at his hands.

“I loved it.”

He stared at her, disbelieving. “I was too rough. I get, I lose—”

She used her height advantage and brought their faces close, a hand to the back of his head to hold him there. “I loved it.” She brushed gentle kisses across his cheek.

“Don’t skip study for me. Don’t. It’s important.”

She pulled back to look at him. The laughter gone, a shadow over his eyes. “Okay.” She couldn’t not give him that and he was right. To rebuild her life, study came first, but it was hard to prioritize in the light of the joy she got from being with Reid. It was like tumbling on a sprung floor, spinning on a pole, without fear of the score or the ramifications of making a mistake.

Don’t let this be a mistake.

He dropped her back to Kathryn’s in time to get ready for work. They wouldn’t see each other until Saturday and there were simply too many hours, too much class, work, air-mattress sleeping to be done before then.

He kissed her with a lazy lushness that made her knees go soft. She stood on the pavement, he sat astride the Harley and neither of them wanted to say goodbye.

He groaned. “Why didn’t I do

women before?”

She didn’t mean to hold her breath but it felt like a threat. Why wouldn’t he regret the time spent without sex and close companionship? “You have time to catch up.” And it’s not like she’d promised anything more than what they had now.

The arm behind her back tightened and her hip banged against the bike’s tank, all that hot metal suddenly too close to her thighs and shins.

He let go as quickly as he’d grabbed. “Go. I’ll see you, Saturday. We get two nights together unless you want to give me more. My offer to move in till you and Cara find a place stands for both of you.”

She took a step back. “Two nights.” That’s what this thing was because Reid had catching up to do and she had to stay focused. “I’m not moving in.”

He put his helmet on and turned the bike over. She watched him pull out and now the distance between hump day and Saturday night felt like a forced march through rough terrain. The only peace would be getting out the other side.